Barbasol signs to sponsor PBA

The Professional Bowlers Association has signed a new multiyear sponsorship deal with shaving brand Barbasol and a multiyear renewal with jerky brand Jack Link’s, and is in talks to renew its deal with Geico to serve as a presenting partner.

The sponsorship agreements arrive on the heels of television deals the PBA signed earlier this year with ESPN and CBS Sports Network, as well as an effort to have celebrity owners be part of each team in the eight-franchise PBA League. The PBA created the league last fall.

Geico sponsors the PBA’s New York franchise, the KingPins. The property expects to have presenting sponsors for the other franchises by Thanksgiving.

“What we’ve done is significantly reorient our value proposition and allow brands to participate directly in the narrative of our story instead of it just being around media units,” said Geoff Reiss, PBA chief executive.

Specific financial terms for the new deals were not disclosed, but they were generally pegged as “significant” six-figure deals.

The PBA has been represented in the market for the past year by Maine-based Shamrock Sports & Entertainment. Shamrock also worked with marketing research group Repucom to determine the value of Geico’s team deal this past season. Repucom determined the insurance carrier’s $200,000 buy for this past season conservatively delivered nearly twice that in marketing value.

“The product is much more aligned with pop culture and personalities now, and we’re now seeing the benefits,” said Brian Corcoran, Shamrock president and owner.